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| Lahad Datu: When diplomacy fails Posted: 01 Mar 2013 01:56 AM PST Prayers for our men who are laying their lives defending for the security of Sabah and Malaysia in Lahad Datu. For weeks the Malaysian authorities had tried to end the stand off against the armed Sulu intruders without having to fire a shot, by diplomatic channels, and by showing great restraint while containing the situation to ensure that the locals are secured. Some of us sitting comfortably in air-con rooms far away from Lahad Datu criticized this display of "weakness" and wanted Hishammuddin Hussein, the Home Minister, to draw blood. The efforts in diplomacy fell through today and the bloodthirsty people got their wish: just after the Friday prayers, we received news that two of our police commandos had been killed in a mortar attack, a few more injured, and several dead intruders. I have no doubt that we will prevail but it angers one to see some Malaysians still trying to score stupid political points at this stage. When the dust has settled and we have buried our fallen heroes, let's support efforts to make Malaysia safer from all threats - from outside as well as inside. You can start by getting acquainted with our government's recent peace efforts in southern Philippines and the latest in southern Thailand (Road to peace paved by Malaysia by Apanama, Feb 28). Like all peace efforts, there are always parties that don't want us to succeed. Read also:  |
| Welcome to Malaysia's "first social media" PRU Posted: 28 Feb 2013 08:25 PM PST  The morning after PRU12, as soon as he'd called for Pak Lah to step down in the light of BN's heavy losses at the polls, Dr Mahathir Mohamad remarked, cheekily, "Someone said we should thank bloggers ... I don't know for what." (Dr M: Thank you bloggers, Rocky's Bru, 9/3/2008). For sure, the Malaysian bloggers had a hand in the outcome of the 12th general election. How influential we were back then is arguable but no one can dispute that we were a force to be reckoned with. Some may have forgotten the fact that our socio-political blogging could be hazardous to your well being: bloggers were sued, charged with sedition, handcuffed and locked up, shadowed and tailed, our offices/shops and homes were raided (or broken into), computers and laptops seized, interrogated/interviewed, sacked and then denied employment, etc. And blogosphere was so lop-sided - bloggers were either anti-BN or anti-Pak Lah. The BN under Abdullah Badawi shunned blogs and looked down on bloggers, and because of that none of their politicians dared to start a blog. On the other hand, almost everyone in DAP, PKR and PAS had a blog. In the run-up to PRU12, they had the field all to themselves, by stupid default.  After the PRU12, BN politicians jumped on the online bandwagon in earnest. The social media was catching on and many started Facebook accounts and later joined Twitter and Instagram. When Najib became Prime Minister, the pace started to quicken. Najib himself led the transformation of the cyberclueless BN politicians from anti-bloggers to cyber-savvy/friendly. His own Facebook became a phenomenon and is nearing 1.4 million "Likes". His Twitter account has over 1.3 million "followers".  I remember predicting at a social media seminar at University Malaya soon after the PRU12 that a huge "army" of bloggers, cyber troopers and social media activists from the BN would be trained, armed and ready to do battle with Pakatan's seasoned warriors come PRU13. If the contest had been lopsided during the last election, the coming one will be more balanced. In fact, I think the Barisan politicians have caught up pretty well and may even have surpassed their rivals from Pakatan in this department. Welcome to what PM Najib Razak describes as Malaysia's first social media general elections. It will be bloody and gory, and there will be tonnes of lies and filth flying around on the Internet. But remember the beauty of all this: the Intenet and social media are ALSO the best and quickest mean to correct the cyber lies and guide the lost souls. For sure, those who shun the social media altogether will fall on the wayside this time, like many of them who shunned the bloggers fell on the wayside in the last general election.  |
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